Karzai: I'm Running For Election

Afghan Leader Jettisons One Of His Vice Presidents

July 27, 2004|By Keith B. Richburg The Washington Post

KABUL, Afghanistan — Officially announcing his candidacy Monday for the country's first democratic election, President Hamid Karzai dropped one of his vice presidents from his ticket, raising concerns in the capital that the spurned faction leader might react violently.

NATO and the international peacekeeping force in Kabul were on a heightened state of alert and conducting additional patrols through the city after First Vice President Mohammed Fahim, Afghanistan's defense minister and commander of the Northern Alliance militia, was left off Karzai's slate. "This is a sensitive time in the Afghan political process," said Cmdr. Chris Henderson of Canada, spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force.

Henderson and the spokesman for U.S. forces in Kabul said they had not noticed any unusual Afghan military or militia activity, but remained vigilant.

The people of Kabul "have nothing to worry about," Henderson said.

Rules established for the presidential election, which is scheduled for Oct. 9, state that cabinet ministers cannot run for office unless they surrender their posts.

Fahim was unwilling to give up leadership of the Defense Ministry, a source of power and patronage.

He also had refused to disarm the Northern Alliance, which allied with the United States in late 2001 to drive the Taliban Islamic movement from power.

Many foreign diplomats, aid officials and human rights groups had said they regarded Fahim's status as a key test of whether Karzai was serious about trying to confront Afghanistan's warlords, and to disarm them, as he seeks a popular mandate to legitimize his 21/2-year interim administration.

Fahim, an ethnic Tajik, made no public comment about the move by Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun, and reportedly was huddled Monday night with aides at a heavily guarded office. But another Northern Alliance leader in the cabinet, Education Minister Yonus Qanooni, announced unexpectedly that he would run against Karzai and that he had the backing of Fahim.

As Karzai announced his candidacy at the Presidential Palace under security, Fahim, Qanooni and Foreign Minister Abdullah -- all prominent figures in the Northern Alliance -- were not among the assembled officials and advisers.

"Fahim is my brother and very close friend," Karzai said, speaking in Dari.

"There's no disagreement."

Speaking in Pashto, the other main Afghan language, Karzai said of Fahim: "I'm very sorry he's not here beside me. He's my friend and I respect him."

In what appeared to be a move aimed at splitting the Northern Alliance, Karzai named as his vice presidential running mate Ahmad Zia Massoud, the Afghan ambassador to Russia and younger brother of slain Northern Alliance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by al-Qaida operatives Sept. 9, 2001.

"I thought we should have a younger generation," Karzai said.

But Qanooni said on BBC Radio's Dari-language service that he had the support of Massoud's older brother, Ahmad Whali Massoud.